Pneumatic seat and back rest lounging device



Jan. 15, 1952 J. 0. KAVANAGH 2,582,439

PNEUMATIC SEAT AND BACK REST LOUNGING DEVICE Filed 001:. 12. 1949 //vv/v TOR J 0. KA VANAGH A TTQRNE Y Patented Jan. 15, 1952 PNEUMATIC SEAT AND BACK REST LOUNGING DEVICE James 0. Kavanagh, South Norwalk, Conm, as-

signor to Luxury Gifts, 1110., New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application October 12, 1949, Serial No. 120,948

I t 1 This invention relates to lounging devices and more specifically to such devices which are suitable for lounging in the bath tub.

Many-people derive great benefit and relaxation by resting and reading while in the bath tub.

Unfortunately, however, the rearwall of the bath tub does not provide an adequate support for the back or a rest for the head. Since it is not very restful to read in the tub with no proper back and head support, the reading and relaxing time in the tub is kept to a minimum. By decreasing the time in the tub, the therapeutic value which could be obtained thereby is also reduced.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to greatly increase the comfort of aperson taking a bath if he desires to rest and read in the tub.

It is another object of this invention to support, more comfortably than it has hitherto been done, the back and head of the bather.

It is still another object ofthis invention to provide a comfortable seat for the bather in the tub.

The above and related objects are attained in accordance with the invention by providing a lounging device which has a back portion for supporting the bathers back and head and a seat portion hinged thereto. Each portion comprises a plurality of pneumatic cushions formed byinflating a group of elongated sealed envelopes of a suitable pliable material, such as plastic, for example. The number and arrangement of the cushions is such that the rigidity of the device and the comfort of the user are at a maximum. The underside of the seat portion is provided with a plurality of vacuum cups which are preferably of the same material as the envelopes and heatsealed to the latter, or they may be sealed to flat edge or side portions of the lounging device. These prevent the seat portion from slipping along the bottom of the tub. The devicewhen not inflated weighs very little (of the order of a pound, for example) and can be folded into a small parcel. It can be easily inflated and hung on the back of a closet door when not in use.

The invention will be more readily understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 shows the novel lounging device in accordance with this invention as it is used in a bath tub;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the lounging device;

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-179) 2 v Fig. 3 is a side view of the arrangement of Fig. 2; and

Fig; 4 is a back view of this device. Referring more specifically to the drawings,

Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, show, by way of example for purposes of illustration, a novel lounging device ID in accordance with the invention. The device I ll is a light-weight, pneumatic cushion of any suitable plastic, such as Vinylite, for example. It comprises two main portions, an upper portion l l which serves as a rest for the back and head of the bather l4 and a seat portion [2 which serves as a seat for the bather. The two portions II and 12 are joined by a connecting strip or portion [3 preferably of the same plastic material as the portions H and I2.

The upper portion H is formed so as to have a body section 15 and a head section 16 which flares outwardly from the section IS. The upper portion ll comprises three envelopes adapted to be inflated with air or other gas to form cushions, two inner envelopes l7 and I8 and an outer envelope H! which when inflated forms two outer side cushions 20 and 2| and a head cushion 22.

' Each of the cushions I1, I8, 20 and 2| is greatly elongated in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the device Hi. This longitudinal axis is parallel to the sides of the bathtub 23 when the device I0 is used in a tub as shown in Fig. 1. This provision of a plurality of elongated cushions in the upper portion I produces great rigidity in the device and gives adequate support to the back of the bather I l. The top portion of the envelope l5 forms a large cushion 22 for the head and makes bath lounging very comfortable and relaxing.

The seat portion l2 comprises a plurality of elongated envelopes 24, the elongations being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the device, thus forming, when inflated, a number of elongated cushions which are arranged cross-wise of the tub 23 and prevent the bather M from sliding off the portion [2. Attached to or forming a part of the underside of the seat portion l2 are a plurality of suction cups 25 which make the seat portion stick to the bottom of the tub 23. Preferably the suction cups are made of the same material as the rest of the lounging device l0 and are heat-sealed thereto. By way of example, they may be placed in the positions shown in Fig. 4 but it is of course to be understood that a different number and positioningof the suction cups 25 can be used, if desired.

Any suitable means can be used to inflate the pneumatic cushions into which the upper and seat portions H and 12 are divided. By way of example, the cushion I! can be provided with an air inlet 26, the cushion l8 with an inlet 21, the cushions 20, 2| and 22 with a single air inlet 28 and the cushions 24 with the inlet 29. It is not necessary to tie ofi the inlets; after inflating the envelope, the inlet need merely be folded over and tucked under an adjacent flap of the envelope. The envelopes can be inflated by th mouth, no pump being necessary.

While the present invention has been describe in terms of a preferred illustrative embodiment, it will be realized that the invention and its several features are susceptible of embodiment in a wide variety of other forms and hence the invention is to be understood as comprehending such other forms as may fairly come within the spirit and letter of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A lounging device to provide head and back support for the user comprising a back portion, a seat portion attached to said back portion, each of said. portions comprising a plurality of closed, elongated envelopes of pliable material adapted to contain air or other gas, some of the envelopes in said back portion being elongated in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 4 of the device to produce rigidity in said back portion and said envelopes in the seat portion being elongated in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and a plurality of suction cups on the under side of the seat portion.

2. The combination of elements as in claim 1 in which said back portion comprises a lower section forming a back support comprising a plurality of elongated envelopes and a flared upper section forming a cushion for the head.

JAMES 0-. KAVANAGH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number i Name Date 1,721,571 Miller July 23, 1929 1,759,348 Fishman May 20, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 12,775 Austria July 25, 1903 338,634 Great Britain 'Nov 27, 1930 412,245 Great Britain June 25, 1934 

